SU-International - World News

Spending cuts and financial "austerity" cannot be allowed to detract from Plaid Cymru's ambition to change Wales, leader Ieuan Wyn Jones will tell his party's conference.

Garden burial murder son jailed

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 13:05:54 GMT

A man is jailed for at least 16 years for murdering his father and burying his remains in concrete in a garden in Buckinghamshire.

Blast levels San Francisco homes

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 14:35:30 GMT

At least one person is killed and dozens are injured in an explosion and fire near San Francisco, with the death toll expected to rise.

Investors bet on prisoner rehab

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 12:41:46 GMT

A "payment-by-results" project to cut reoffending is officially launched, with investors getting a return only if reoffending drops.

Japan uncovers centenarian 'scam'

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 09:53:58 GMT

More than 230,000 elderly people in Japan who are listed as being aged 100 or over are unaccounted for, officials said following a nationwide inquiry.

C4 bids farewell to Big Brother

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 12:29:03 GMT

Former air steward Brian Dowling is the bookies' favourite to win Ultimate Big Brother as the Channel 4 reality show comes to an end.

Naturist gardener gives council a dressing down

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 11:34:29 GMT

A naturist claims a council has breached his human rights after it approved plans for houses overlooking his garden in a West Yorkshire village.

Revealed: The 'knicker spy' who sang for Hitler

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 13:17:59 GMT

A photograph of a little-known World War II spy who sang for Adolf Hitler while concealing secret documents in her knickers is to be sold at auction.

Live - England v Pakistan

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:58:12 GMT

Steven Davies top-scores with 87 as England set Pakistan 275 to win the first one-day international at Chester-le-Street.

Red Bull's Vettel sets Monza pace

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 13:41:27 GMT

Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel steals Ferrari's thunder to set the pace in practice at the Italian Grand Prix.

Ferguson brushes off Rooney talk

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 10:09:19 GMT

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson refuses to discuss Wayne Rooney's off-field problems or the hostile reception he might face at Everton on Saturday.

Pakistan trio set to return home

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:28:18 GMT

The three Pakistan cricketers questioned by police over alleged spot fixing are to fly home.

Houllier praises Villa's ambition

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 13:39:15 GMT

Gerard Houllier says Aston Villa's ambition was key to him agreeing to succeed Martin O'Neill as manager.

Three jailed over 'filmed' rape

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 14:35:01 GMT

Three men are jailed for a sex attack on a woman which only came to light when the victim saw footage of it on a mobile phone.

Benefits shame for lifeboat hero

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 14:25:41 GMT

A lifeboat crew member who won a bravery award for a daring rescue was claiming disability benefit at the same time, a court is told.

Armed police at 'grenade siege'

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 13:04:55 GMT

Armed officers and bomb disposal experts are at a major police operation in Glasgow after grenade-type devices were reportedly thrown from a flat.

Jail sentence for 'savage' rapist

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 09:52:46 GMT

A man who raped and abused two women in the Highlands and Glasgow is jailed for 10-and-a-half years.

Bomb suspect priest 'flamboyant'

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 13:11:30 GMT

Denis Bradley says he met Father James Chesney but at the time was not aware the priest was suspected of involvement in the Claudy bombings.

Armagh murder 'a frenzied attack'

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:09:16 GMT

Police say a man murdered in Armagh last week was stabbed in a frenzied and unprovoked attack.

Tourists caught out by high tides

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 14:04:40 GMT

Nine flood watches remain in place as autumn high tides catch out visitors to a town on the Carmarthenshire coast.

Legionnaires' source hunt narrows

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 05:44:21 GMT

Doctors say they are narrowing down the potential source for a Legionnaires' disease outbreak in south Wales after the deaths of two people.

Guinea poll head guilty of fraud

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 09:43:26 GMT

The head of Guinea's election commission and another senior official are sentenced to a year in prison for fraud during June's first round presidential vote.

Swazi 'torture' threat condemned

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 11:29:05 GMT

Swaziland unions condemn the prime minister's suggestion that dissidents should be whipped on their feet with spikes.

NZ no-go zones stay amid tremors

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:07:33 GMT

New Zealand delays plans to lift no-go zones in quake-hit Christchurch after major aftershocks rock the city.

Japan extends captain's detention

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 14:27:04 GMT

Hours after China demands the release of a Chinese boat captain detained in Japan, a Japanese court rules he can be held for a further 10 days.

Merkel ally quits in WWII furore

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 12:47:54 GMT

An ally of Germany's Chancellor Merkel will quit a top party post after suggesting Poland may carry as much blame as Hitler for triggering World War II.

Strike by players to halt Serie A

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 11:06:29 GMT

Players in Serie A plan to strike in a fortnight's time in a protest over their rights.

Gang strike paralyses El Salvador

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 21:56:54 GMT

Much of El Salvador's public transport grinds to a halt after street gangs force a shutdown to protest at anti-gang legislation.

Obama contradicts Mexico claims

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 04:54:51 GMT

US President Barack Obama contradicts claims made by his secretary of state that Mexico is dealing with a "drugs insurgency".

Iran will release US woman hiker

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 05:16:03 GMT

Iran is set to release on Saturday Sarah Shourd - one of three detained US hikers held since last July and accused of espionage, officials say.

Al-Qaeda men escape Baghdad jail

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 21:54:51 GMT

Four prisoners with ties to al-Qaeda have escaped from the US-controlled section of Baghdad's Karkh prison, US officials say.

Manipur police on murder charges

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 09:30:33 GMT

A court in India's Manipur state issues warrants for the arrest of nine policemen charged with killing an unarmed man.

Delhi flood fears as river swells

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 11:25:52 GMT

Thousands of people are evacuated from low-lying areas near the Yamuna river in the Indian capital, Delhi.

US judge challenges army gay ban

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 03:20:39 GMT

A federal judge rules that a ban on homosexuals serving openly in the US military is unconstitutional, in the latest challenge to the law.

Soldiers 'kept Afghan body parts'

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 19:33:06 GMT

A group of US soldiers murdered a number of Afghan civilians and took body parts as trophies, documents released by military officials suggest.

Microsoft executive to lead Nokia

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 14:10:37 GMT

Finnish mobile phone giant Nokia appoints Microsoft business manager Stephen Elop as its new head after a profits slump.

Deutsche 'set to raise 9bn euros'

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 09:54:16 GMT

Shares in Germany's Deutsche Bank fall sharply after reports that it is planning to raise 9bn euros to shore up its finances.

US cuts wheat production forecast

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 13:56:26 GMT

The US Department of Agriculture cuts its forecast for global wheat production in 2010-11, but by less than expected.

Minister defends using detectives

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 14:18:17 GMT

A justice minister says he paid private detectives to investigate his colleagues because he was upset about "malicious" newspaper stories.

Five-year parliaments 'too long'

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 13:05:17 GMT

Fixed-term parliaments should last four years, not five as planned, constitutional experts have told MPs.

Boris Johnson to seek re-election

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 11:28:43 GMT

Mayor of London Boris Johnson announces he will stand for re-election in 2012.

Stem cell medic misconduct ruling

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 13:53:00 GMT

A doctor who offered controversial stem cell treatments to multiple sclerosis patients faces being struck off by the General Medical Council.

'Sponge checks' for cancer risk

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 23:51:00 GMT

Swallowing a sponge on a piece of string could help prevent a deadly form of cancer, experts claim.

Firm handshake link to long life

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 10:53:41 GMT

The strength of your handshake could be a clue to how long you'll live, say UK scientists.

Academies 'may be risky strategy'

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 00:19:54 GMT

The government spending watchdog warns the expansion of the academies programme could risk being poor value for money.

Call to merge education services

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 23:15:58 GMT

Education authorities are facing a call to merge so classrooms may be spared the worst of the cuts in public spending.

Door ajar on private universities

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 13:13:18 GMT

The Universities Minister suggests an increased role for private universities as he signals graduates will have to pay more for their degrees.

Boxing game to aid health fight

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:08:17 GMT

A boxing game is spearheading attempts to get middle-aged men in Teesside to get more regular exercise.

Broadband switch 'too difficult'

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 14:26:12 GMT

Telecoms watchdog Ofcom aims to address the fact that switching broadband providers is viewed as "too much hassle".

Sex movie worm spreads worldwide

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 10:13:41 GMT

A malicious program that falsely promises free access to sex movies is racking up victims around the world, warn security firms.

Freshwater turtles 'in decline'

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 09:51:36 GMT

More than a third of freshwater turtle species are now threatened with extinction, Conservation International says.

Ancient Greeks saw Halley's comet

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 10:35:40 GMT

A celestial event seen by the ancient Greeks may be the earliest sighting of Halley's comet, new evidence suggests.

Scan to 'track brain development'

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 03:33:51 GMT

Scientists say they can quickly and accurately map a child's brain development using an MRI machine and a maths programme.

Writer's 'lost poem' discovered

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 23:25:11 GMT

An unpublished poem by one of Scotland's greatest writers is to be read in public for the first time.

Record deal for Smith's daughter

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:43:16 GMT

Will Smith's daughter, Willow, nine, signs a record deal with rapper Jay-Z's label Roc Nation and releases debut single Whip My Hair.

Noel Gallagher puts music on hold

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:13:01 GMT

Former Oasis star Noel Gallagher tells fans not to expect any solo material in the near future, following the band's split last year.

Why Saturday morning TV changed

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 10:44:33 GMT

The three-hour television marathons of pop, guests, phone-ins and chaos that used to usher in the weekend.

What became of Mercury Communications?

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 23:11:51 GMT

Its name lives on in the form of a prestigious music prize but whatever happened to Mercury Communications?

Britain's only gay Mass

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 11:40:58 GMT

Some gay people will protest at the Pope's UK visit next week - but one London Catholic church is hosting a "gay Mass".

Committee to examine MP phone-hacking claims

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 14:30:51 GMT

MPs have decided to hold a new inquiry into allegations that some of their phones were hacked by journalists at the News of the World.

Mudslide swamps Italian village

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 09:38:00 GMT

An amateur cameraman has filmed the scene from Atrani in southern Italy when a mudslide crashed through the village.

Cyclist's long hunt for missing son

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 11:19:32 GMT

An Australian man who cycled round Europe for three months looking for his missing son is to be reunited with him after two-and-a-half years.

Bomb scare toy pony blown up

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 07:48:03 GMT

A child's toy sparked a bomb scare in Orlando after it was left unattended in a cul-de-sac.

Injured marine's epic US run

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 06:05:13 GMT

Royal Marine Mark Ormrod is a triple amputee who is setting out to run 3,500 miles across the US.

Blaze engulfs San Francisco homes

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 03:44:01 GMT

Dozens of homes have been set ablaze near San Francisco International Airport, after a reported explosion.

The gay Soho Catholic masses

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 10:31:04 GMT

Peter Marshall meets some of the predominantly gay congregation of a Soho church to ask them what they believe the Pope thinks about their church.

US marines rescue ship from pirates

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:15:18 GMT

US Marines have boarded and seized a vessel hijacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia, navy officials say.

Ben Brown boogies - it's Odd Box

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 22:42:36 GMT

Presenters dancing, lessons in how to fall over and the man who drives a dining room table. It's the week's weird and wonderful video stories in Newsbeat's Odd Box with Dominic Byrne.

Seeing into space

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:13:08 GMT

Stunning images captured by earthbound astronomers

What's 27x43?

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 10:51:22 GMT

How chunking has replaced long division

7 days quiz

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 23:01:59 GMT

Can you spot the original Peggy Mitchell from our line-up?

Going the distance

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 11:01:34 GMT

Drew Barrymore has become a powerful Hollywood force